town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Simla, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Simla?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Simla, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 85 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Simla
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Western Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi E.
How Simla ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 63rd | 57th | 70th | 95th |
| Colorado | 89th | 93rd | 67th | 91st |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 97th | 63rd | 97th | 100th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Simla: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ramah 5 mi · Matheson 6 mi · Calhan 14 mi · Limon 23 mi · Peyton 23 mi · Kiowa 25 mi
All towns in Colorado · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Simla (39.1408, -104.0825); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.